Ludmila, who had been quietly moving her fork, slowly rolled her eyes to gauge Aden’s mood.
Inevitably late for lunch, Ludmila could see Aden waiting for her with closed eyes when she entered the dining room.
She had made him wait for more than 10 minutes, not just 1-2 minutes.
She apologized, saying she was sorry, but Aden just nodded briefly before starting his meal right away.
Since then, not a single word of conversation had been exchanged, with only the sound of cutlery quietly echoing in the dining room.
For Ludmila, who valued etiquette, breaking a promise was an unacceptable taboo.
Moreover, the silence was caused by her being late.
If the other person was angry because of it, how they expressed their feelings was entirely up to them.
Therefore, Ludmila atoned by maintaining the atmosphere Aden seemed to want to keep as much as possible.
“Is it to your liking?”
It was when she stabbed the last remaining apple with her fork.
The dense silence that seemed unbreakable until the end of this meal gave way to a soft voice.
As she quickly raised her head, stopping midway through piercing the apple, Aden was smiling faintly as if asking how it was.
Letting out a short exclamation of “Ah-“, Ludmila didn’t forget to wipe around her mouth and drink water before answering.
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
Aden nodded as if relieved at Ludmila’s answer, given with the most affectionate expression she could muster.
Is that it? Ludmila, who thought Aden’s anger had subsided, lowered her gaze and suddenly noticed Aden’s bowl, still half empty.
“Are you not feeling well? You’ve left quite a lot.”
Normally, this wouldn’t have been an issue she’d pay attention to.
How much others ate was entirely their own business, and it wasn’t polite to comment on it.
However, not wanting silence to settle between them again, Ludmila prioritized breaking the quietness over maintaining etiquette.
Glancing at his own dishes, Aden shook his head lightly and grasped the long water glass.
“No. It just doesn’t suit my taste.”
“Pardon?”
“The capital’s cuisine is too sweet. As I eat, it becomes cloying and hard to swallow.”
As he continued speaking while drinking water, it seemed as if he was rinsing a stale taste from his mouth. From Aden to the table. Then back from the table to Aden.
Rolling her eyes as if flustered, Ludmila realized the implication in his words and once again swallowed a deep sigh.
It was the moment she newly realized what kind of appointment she had been late for.
Ludmila, letting out a low sigh, pushed aside the remaining apple and adjusted her posture.
“I’ll apologize again. I’m sorry I made you upset by being late to the place you had so thoughtfully arranged.”
Bowing her upper body and apologizing politely, Ludmila inwardly swallowed a sigh. Just one full day since coming here.
In that short time, barely two days in count, all sorts of things had happened.
She had been scolded by Beressa, then faced a life-threatening situation in the morning, and now she was late to a meeting arranged by her benefactor.
If she were in the capital… no, if she were beside Kedilen, these would have been unimaginable occurrences.
For Ludmila, who knew herself to always handle matters perfectly, this series of small mistakes and unexpected events was enough to elicit sighs.
Ludmila, who had been self-reproaching with her waist bowed, raised her head with a sigh.
“If you give me a chance, I’d like to make amends for being late today.”
“Make amends? How so?”
“Please tell me if there’s anything you want. I’ll comply within the limits of what I can do.”
The red eyes looking at him without wavering sparkled clearly.
What an audacious woman indeed. Aden held back a dry laugh at the red eyes that didn’t avoid his gaze but stared straight at him.
To speak of making amends in this situation.
She was a woman who had nothing except for the clothes in her luggage and a few jewels to use when crossing over after the frozen land thawed.
Moreover, she had entrusted her safety to an unknown man while trying to escape from her husband.
Despite the risk of potentially facing a rough time, her attitude and behavior showed no hesitation.
Surely, she couldn’t be expecting imperial gentlemanliness and honor from him.
Aden still didn’t know what made Ludmila able to trust him.
Anyway, making amends?
Being late for a meal was such a minor mistake that it was embarrassing to even call it a sin. It was only 10 minutes.
Moreover, he was prepared to nod and move on if she explained why she was late.
But Ludmila, either not knowing or ignoring his consideration, had kept her mouth shut throughout the meal. As she continued the silence and apologized again, Aden could gain a deep insight.
The fact was that Ludmila was a woman who didn’t make excuses.
In a way, she was more admirable than men who were either too rigid or just talked too much.
However, knowing that this wasn’t from Ludmila’s original personality but a survival tactic, Aden couldn’t help but feel somewhat displeased.
As his thoughts reached that point, Aden grasped the glass of water in his hand.
“There’s no need to be so serious. You didn’t do anything wrong enough to warrant such grand talk of making amends, and I’m not angry either.”
“But…”
“Rather, how about loosening up a bit when you walk around? It would be better if that ramrod straight back that looks like it might break any moment relaxes too.”
Bewilderment rippled in those red eyes.
Finding the sight quite pleasing, like wind stirring a lake dyed by the setting sun, the smile on Aden’s lips deepened a bit more.
“I heard you strode through the inner palace as if it were your own home. Despite being a woman they’d never seen before, your graceful gait and noble appearance shone so brightly that no one could stop you.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, I’m not blaming you for that. You didn’t enter anywhere you shouldn’t have. However, if you plan to stay here, don’t you think it would be better to make your words and actions consistent?”
Although Ludmila introduced herself as a merchant, it was difficult to find any merchant-like qualities in her outward appearance.
A merchant didn’t need to act like one. However, Ludmila behaved more like a noble than necessary.
It might not have been intentional, but it was an attitude that directly contradicted her own words.
“You don’t need to look like a merchant. But you should avoid appearing like a noble. Don’t you agree?”
Ludmila bit her lip as she glanced at her waist at Aden’s gesture.
Suppressing a laugh at her rare display of confusion from the unexpected remark, Aden leaned back.
“If you still wish to make amends, there’s one thing I’d like to ask. Can you answer?”
“…If possible.”
Silently observing Ludmila’s brief nod, Aden leaned his body forward.
“Why did you choose to run away?”
“Pardon?”
“To escape from that man, there’s a more certain method than this troublesome approach, isn’t there?”
“That’s…”
“‘Please kill my husband.'”
Ludmila’s mask of composure shattered at the voice that flowed from Aden’s lips.
“…Wasn’t it a matter of asking like that?”
Creeeeak-.
As the window opened, cold wind rushed in.
The cool breeze that awakened her stuffy head seemed to wash away her complicated feelings, clearing her mind.
An unfamiliar scenery with only small, scattered lights visible in the deep night. It was quite strange compared to the capital where lights never went out.
‘Please kill my husband.’
Suddenly, it felt as if the wind carried that day’s voice.
Ludmila slightly furrowed her brow at the past voice seeping into her mind.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t surprised when she heard Aden’s words.
For a moment, she thought he might remember the past, but with a little reflection, she quickly realized how far-fetched that idea was.
It was already miraculous enough that she had traveled back in time, but another person too?
And Aden at that? While it was difficult to definitively say it was impossible since it had happened once, it was too implausible.
The memory of seeking out Aden to escape from her husband had long been buried in a corner of her mind.
But Aden had dredged up that memory.
In a way, it seemed like a trivial question, but that casual voice reminded Ludmila of her anxiety.
The anxiety that perhaps the future couldn’t be changed and that one couldn’t ultimately defy fate.
What would Kedilen be doing in the capital now? He would have realized her disappearance by now and would be searching for her, deploying rangers.
He had used the numerous pieces of information she brought to form relationships with people and expand his business.
Now that she, who had been solidifying his public image, was gone, he would surely be more urgent than ever.
Aden had said not to worry as he had taken measures to prevent Kedilen from easily searching for her, but he was a high-ranking noble of the empire.
He could exert influence far beyond Aden’s imagination.
As the wind grew colder, her anxiety increased. This winter needed to pass quickly.
Knock knock-.
It was then.
Ludmila’s head turned at the sound of knocking amidst the silence.
She approached the door, carefully attached the chain, and opened it. The figure revealed through the chained gap was Beressa.
A small sigh lingered on Ludmila’s lips, as she was not exactly welcome at this late hour.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“This.”
Beressa, with a rather displeased face, held out the object in her hand. A small nameplate that fit in her palm.
“Carry this when you walk around the inner palace. You can enter everywhere except places like the master’s study or office.”
“…”
“Why am I supposed to give this to such a stupid wench, really.”
Beressa turned around, grumbling loud enough to be heard, and immediately started walking away.
Ludmila, who had been staring blankly at her back, closed the door to undo the chain, then opened it wide.
“Wait a moment.”
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
